Channel closing machine



Dc. 11, 1945. L, E. PROULX 2,390,616

CHANNEL CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jail. 15, 1944 3 Shets-Sheet -1 L mm Dec. 11, 1945. E. PROULX CHANNEL CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 194-4 3 Sheets-Sheet .2

In veniar Leonard EPr-oulx.

y hi A fiorney.

Dec. 11, 1945 L r L. E. PROULX 2,390,616 I. I CHANNEL CLOSING MACHINE Filed Jan. 15, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 art from the channel-rflap-laying tool; i ;Fig.,5t is a view, inside elevation showing the operating instrumentalities gagjement witha shoe;

Patented Dec. 11, 1945 .QH NE C NG Leonard E. Proulx,

Arlington, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation; Fleming- "a corporation of New Jersey. w .11

Application January 15, 5 18, 84

jlfhis invention relates to machines for laying the channel flaps ofshoes and'is herein illustrated and described as embodiedin a machine provided with work-feeding means and also with an improved rotary flap-laying tool.

5 Inasmuch asthe soles of shoes are not flat but are. curved bothtransversely and longitudinally, itvis important in channel-flap-laying machines to? provide a tool capable ofbearing with more [OI'xlCSS uniform yielding pressure against the shoe, notwithstanding such irregularities of contour. maybe accomplished by includinga resiliently supported yieldable element in the tool :It is an object of this invention to provide an improved channel-fiap-laying machine provided :with a'compact rotary tool having yieldable wip- .ing 1 members engageablewith the shoe bottom. ,The flap-laying tool illustrated herein is provided with a plurality of-wiping plates carried by a rotary toolbody with theirinner edges close to the: axis "of rotation and their) outer edgesiurjther fromgsaid axis. :As shown herein, and in acpqrdance with a featureof the inventionythese wipers are mounted in the tool body for yielding; movement ,having an axial component under pressure of the work, anduresilient means: are provided to act upon said wipersin-oppositionto such yielding movement. :In accordance ;with a further feature, thel illustrated machine is-pro- I dedwitha driven roll feeding the shoe; to the above-mentioned The invention further includes -1 various featnres of construction and combinations of parts thereintdescribed and claimed, the advantages of which will be apparent to thoseuskilled in the accompanying description, reference. being j had to the accompanying drawings, .in which l Fig. 1 is a side elevation of anillustrative machine embodying the invention;

" Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown inFig. 1; x l i Fig. 3' isan angular view of :Fig. sis a. fragmentary sectional view of the Of the machine in en- Fig. 6 is a side view ofthe tool, the outer portion being shown in diametrical section;

, Fig'. Lisa section of the tool taken on line a channel-fiap-lay- H ing toolwith which themachine is provided;

engaging the upperof a upwardly extending parallel guide plates rotation in a bearing through a lug the axis of angular intervals symmetrical with .each of the'slots 52. These wiping than the widths 1 clearance;

of the end surface. each plate is rounded transversely of its own thickness to avoid beyond the cylindrical peripherydescribed. [Secured against the v l figrfi is an end view of the tool with the flange of the outer casingremoved; and 1 Fig. 9 a view similar to Fig. 4 of an alternative form ofchannel-flap-layingtool. Y The operating instrumentalities of the machine consist of a -channel-fiap-laying tooll0 andwa drivenfeed'wheel 12. These members: are-supported bya machine frame l4 having a pair of IS. and 18 (Fig. 2). The tool H] has an upwardly extending stem or spindle 20 which is journaled for 22 having a bushing 24. heightwise adjustment of ID the bearing ZZ is carried-by a bracket In order to provide for the tool 2 6 which in turn'is pivotally mounted for swinging movementupona pin 28 carried by the frame |4. In the illustrated construction thebearing 22 and the bracket 26 are integral. A coil compression spring34 interposed between a lug 36 on the bracket 26and an abutment 38 secured to the frame I4 bears against the bracket 26 to urge the tool downwardly. Such downward movement of the tool is limited by a stop screw 40 threaded 4| on the bracket26 and engageable with an abutment 42on' the frame I4.

The tool 10 comprises a metal head 44 (Figs. 6 and D rigidly secured upon the lower end of the spindle-2|! and having a cylindrical periphery.

The lower end surface of the head 44, indicated by .the reference character 46 (see also Figs. 3 and 4) is convex. Milled into the head 44 are twelve slot 48 (Fig. 6) each having a pair of plane parallel walls. These slots-emergein th'e periphtery and also in theconvex endsurface 46 of the head; they do not, however, extend inwardly as far as the axis, but leave a central portion-50 (Fig-.7) surrounding the stem 20 to holdthe head together. The plane of each slot is inclined to the tool,- such inclination being equal for all the slots. -The slots are spaced at equal about the axis, and they are respect to the axis- Seated in 481s a fiat brass wiping plate plates are just enoughthinner of the slots to provide sliding Each'platehas an 'end 54 which extends beyond the endsurface 4B of the head and which is rounded to follow the general convexity Furthermore,- the end 54 of any sharp edge which might Extending from each plate of the head 44 is a lug 56 which serves a purpose later to be inner or 'upper damage the work.

inturned flange 68 which engages the lugs 56 to limit outward axial movement of the wiping plates. The lugs 56 are thus normally held against the flange 68 by the rubber ring 64, The cover 66 is secured to the disk 68 by screws I8 (Fig. 3). In order to insure registration of the screw holes in the disk and the casing, adowel pin I2 extending radially from the disk 68 en- 'against its associated wiping plate 82.

gages a notch formed in the casing. It is evident that when the casing 66 is thus secured in position on the head, the wiping plates 52 will normally be held intheir outermost positions as shownin Fig.- 4 but that they may yield by compression of the rubber ring 64. a The feed wheel I2 oonsists'of a ring I4 (Fig.

til-composed of rubber andcarried by a hub 13 which is mounted for rotation on a stud I5 having a stem I6 threaded into a carrier 18. The stud has a head I9 for retaining the feed wheel against outward axial movement. In order to provide for adjustment of the feed wheel toward and from the locality at which the operation is to be performed, the carrier I8 (Fig. 1) is pivotally mounted'for swinging movement about a shaft 88 journaled in the lower portion of the frame I4. The shaft 88, which'may be driven from any suitable source of power, rotates freely with respect-to the carrier I8. A coil tension spring 82 has one end secured to the carrier I8 and its other end anchored to a pin 84'extending across the open space between the upright guide plates I6 and I8. The spring 82, which urges the carrier outwardly or toward the left as seen in Fig. 1, maintains the carrier in a position of adjustment which is determined by the engagement of a lug 86'on the carrierwith'a stop 88 on a slide 98. Formed in the upright plate I6 is a horizontal guideway 92 in which the slide '98 maybe'securedin adjusted position by a clamping nut 94 threaded on the end of a stem 96 extending outwardly from the slide through a slot 98 in-the guideway.

Thetool l8 and the feed wheel I2 are driven from the drive shaft'88 which, in turn, maybe driven from any suitable source of power. Secured upon the shaft 38 is a pulley I86 over which runs a belt I88 for the purpose of transmitting the drive of the shaft 88 to a pulley II8 carried by a shaft H2. An arm II4 extending upwardly from the bearing 22 carries a bearin 6 for the shaft II2. A bevel gear II8 secured upon an end of the shaft II2 engages a bevel gear I28 secured upon the upper end of the spindle 28 to drive the tool I8. For driving the feed roll I2, there is provided on the shaft 88 a worm gear I22 which meshes with the worm gear I24 .on the lower end of a shaft I26 journaled in suitable bearings mounted'in the carrier 18. A bevel gear I28 (see also Fig. 5) on the upper end of the shaft I26 meshes with a bevel gear I38 carried by a shaft I32 also journaled in the car- 'rier I8. A bevel gear I34 on the opposite end of the shaftI32 meshes with a bevel gear I36 securedto the hub I3 to drive the feed wheel I2.

-In the modifiedform of tool shown in Fig. 9,

the feed-wheel I2.

.as new' and desire to secure the head 44 is similar to the head 44 already described except for being slightly longer axially. In place of the disk 68 is a thinner disk I38 having a depending peripheral flange I48 which surrounds the head 44 and supports the casing 66. The rubber ring 64 is omitted; its function is performed by individual coil compression springs I42, one foreach wiping plate 52. ,Each spring I42'has its upper end abutting against the disk I38 and its lower end exerting a downward thrust Each spring surrounds a supporting stem I44 which extends upwardly from its associatedwipin plate. Thelugs 56 engage the flange 68 to limit outward movement of their wiping plates in the same way .as.ji n--the form of head already described.

The operation of the machine is illustrated in Fig; 5. A shoe S is presented by hand to the flaplaying tool I8, with the upper of the shoe against The purpose of the feed wheelis not only to impart a feeding movement .to the shoebut also to maintain the shoe in gaged position relatively to the tool I8, with the channel flap 01 lip'L in engagement "with the wiping members 52. Thework-engaging ends 54 of thewiping membersare'long enough to take care of variations, in the sameshoe or inshoes .of like size and style in "the distance between the channel lip L and thelpointof contact between the feed roll andtheupper of the shoe. 'For the larger'variations' inthis distance-which are' encountered in working upon shoes which differ widely in size or style, the slide 88 may beadjusted in its guideway. Changes in relative ,heightwise adjustmentbetween' the tool and the feed wheelmay also be necessary; such changes Any irregularities of contour of the shoe bottom will be accommodated by the individual yielding of the wiping members 52. All that the operator has to do while thus holding the shoe is to permit the shoe to turn under the influence of the -'feed :wheel while the wiping members progressively lay the channel flap. 7

. lHaving. described my invention, what I-claim by Letters Patent of the United States is;- H 1 1. A channel-flap-laying-tool comprising fa ro- -tary tool' body; a plurality of wipers arranged annularly aboutthe axi fof the tool-body and extending from an end face of the tool bodjffor engagement with the work, said Wipers being -mounted in said tool body for yielding movement having an axial component, under pressure ofthe Work, and resilient means acting upon said wipers to oppose said yielding movement.

. 2. LA channel-'flap-laying tool comprising a rotary tool body, a plurality of wiping plates mounted in said tool body with provision for m'ovement. having a componentalongthe axis of rotation, and resilientmeans acting upon fs'aid platesfor yieldingly'resisting such movement under pressure of the work. i j 3. A channel-flap-laying tool comprising a otary tool body having'a plurality of -'slot's1distributed 'around the' axis of the toolbody, a wiping plate slidable in each of said slots, andiresilient means acting upon said plates for yieldingly resisting movement of the plates underpressure of the work in a direction having a component alongfltheaxisofrotationj 9 e. A channel-flap-layi g toolcomprising sit- -tary tool-body having'a plurality pf slots 31E- tributed symmetrically around" the axis of the ed in said tool body with provision for move- 10 ment having a component in the direction of the axis of rotation, and a ring of rubber engagethe work.

able with said plates to resist said movement under pressure of the work.

6. A channel-flap-laying tool comprising a. ro-

tary tool body, a plurality of wiping plates mounted in said tool body with provision for movement having a component in the direction of the axis of rotation, and means including a plurality of springs individually associated with said wiping plates for yieldably holding each wiping plate against such movement under pressure of LEONARD E. PROULX. 

